The non-ACA plans are probably not comprehensive insurance. ACA, when it was passed, pissed off the insurance companies because it forced them to do things like cover pre-existing conditions, pregnancy, mental health, and not cut you off just because you had a really expensive problem like cancer. You know, little things. (/s if you missed the sarcasm) Thus if it's not in compliance with ACA, I'd be seriously side eyeing it, and if I were considering it anyway I'd be asking why its not in compliance, and I'd want to know the details of why.
Your problem is that you're traveling for work. If that wasn't a factor, then ACA is fine. If you get sick or hurt while you're out of state, I believe the ACA plans will cover emergency care. Either that or you go home to see the doctor. But I don't have direct experience. You might get some good info if you can find a group of travelers and ask them what they're doing.
The brokers are discouraging ACA in part because they get paid more if you go through them. They're biased.
As for the ACA plans, are you looking at bronze, silver or gold plans? There is a cost difference. Based on what you say your usage is, you don't need a gold plan. You could probably get away with a bronze plan, though you would have more coverage under a silver. And by coverage, I mean financial coverage. What's covered/not covered medically is going to be fairly consistent.
It sounds like you you make too much to get much subsidy. It's a failing of ACA.
The health shares that are out there are not insurance. They may masquerade as insurance, but they're not legally insurance. So approach those with caution. There was a post quite recently about this, and that person basically got told by everyone that they didn't have insurance.
Going through your current agency might be the most cost effective option, at least for now. You would be eligible to sign up for ACA when you lost your insurance through the agency. And resetting your deductible, while not fun, also doesn't sound like a burden in your situation. If you're not hitting your deductible even in total, then it doesn't really matter if it's split up between plans.